The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-01-05
sTATEsMEN's BUsTs.
The Works of Art Which Are to Ador
the GnIlery of the Senate.

The Works of Art Which Are to Adorn
the Gnllery of the Senate.
The Senate Library Committee re-
ported resolution authorizing the pay
ment from the contingent fund of a sum
sufficient Sr the purchase of the busts
of the Vice Presidents from John Adams
down to the present time. The resolu-
ton, which was adopted without debate,
provided that no more than five busts
should be received within one fiscal
wear, and that each should be modelled
by an artist residing in the same State
with the subject The matter was then
placed in the charge of Mr.. Edward
Clark, the architect of the capitol. II
was finally decided that the first five
should be the busts of the three Vice
Presidents, then living-viz., Hannibal
Hamilton, William A. Wheeler and
Chester A. Arthur-and then revert to
Adams and jefferson, coming down the
line to Mr.. Hendricks The list in
cludes only the legally-elected Vice
Presidents, and not those who may have
filed the office ad interim.
1t is the intention to place the five
busts of those aforementioned in the
inches of the north wall of the Senate
chamber, where the Vice-Presidents
generally sit, but when all shall have
been finished they will be arranged
chronologiccally in their respective
inches in the galleries of the Senate.
The busts will be placed on pedestals OF
y height sufficient to prevent being
handled by that class of curiously-dis-
posed persons who can not be satisfied
with any thing less than personal con-
tact with whatever happens to be placed
on exhibition. The pedestal will be
chiseled from marble of color approx
mating the general tone of the wall
that of Sienna marble. The busts will
stand three feet in height They will
be so arranged that the center of the
face will be the point from which the
semi-circular head of the niche might
be deserted. They will be executed
from the best portraits obtainable.
The effort will be to secure portraits
contemporaneous with the services OF
the subject as Vice-President. Some
difficulty may be experienced, it is
I feared, in procuring good representa-
tons of some Of the dead statesmen
such, for example, as those of Aaron
Burr and Daniel Tompkins, of New
York. The only good portrait of Burr
is believed to be that in possession OF
Princeton College, of which Johnathan
Edwards, Mr.. Burr's grandfather, was
at one time president.
Ex-President Arthur, upon being con-
: suited in regard to the matter, request
ed that Mr.. St. Gaudens, of New York
City, be given the work of fashioning
his features into clay.
Mr. Wheeler expressed no preference
us to the sculptor, but regretted that
on account of his health he could not
give personal sitting. He referred
Mr.. Clark, however, to portrait OF
himself at the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing in this city, which he regards
as probably the best presertment OF
himself in existence. Mr.. Clark has
asked j. @. A. Ward, of New York, to
perform this work, but it is not known
at present whether he will accept.
To Mr.. Franklin Simmons, of Maine,
will be assigned the preparation of Mr..
Hamlin's bust, while Mr. Daniel
French, of Massachusetts,, and a Mr..
Ezekiel, of Virginia, will perform a
similar service for ex-Presidents Adams
and Jefferson. The sum which the
artists will receive for this service will
be $500, only one contract being award
ed to each sculptor.
A life-size portrait of President Ar
thur was made by Leclere, of New
York, from many sittings, representing
him as gentleman who had just
stepped out of the main door of man
sion on to the porch to salute the face
OF nature on an autumnal morn. In
one hand he was holding book, with
one finger between the leaves. A rose,
rs though fallen from his button-hole,
lay upon the step. The artist died be.
fore the picture could be criticised by
Mr.. Arthur, and through the aid of an
eminent New York and Washington
artist the changes desired by him were
undertaken. They did not relate in
N>4iny degree to the face, but merely tc
the size and repose of the body. As
changed under Mr.. Arthur's direction
this admirable work of art now adorns
the White House, and is esteemed as a
striking portrait. Washington Cor. N
Y Herald.